The Klondyke Nugget was a gory melodrama, written by and starring the Wild West showman S. F. Cody, set against the Klondike gold rush (Klondyke is now usually spelled Klondike). This image was one of several pictorial advertisements used for the play, and this example still has a printed overlay (c. 13 x 9 cm.) pasted on the top left advertising performances at the Clarence Theatre, Pontypridd, Wales, opening on Monday, December 19 [1898]. The chromolithographed poster shows John Bull, symbol of England, surrounded by a group of people of various nationalities who may be (from right to left): an Australian bushman in a red shirt, wearing a slouch hat and bandolier, with a kangaroo leaning on his shoulder; a Chinese man; Uncle Sam (representing the United States); a Dutchman; a Scotsman; an African man; John Bull (England); a bearded man (possibly a Boer); an Eskimo; an Irishman; a Frenchman; and a North American Indian chief. Although the man in the red shirt has been identified as Cody, he does not have his long hair and goatee, and the association with the kangaroo is a visual clue he is meant to be seen as Australian. A large number of Australians are believed to have been attracted to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899) in Canada's Yukon Territory, although only several hundred actually made it to the goldfields.

Biography/History

Samuel Franklin Cody (1867-1913) was a cowboy, bronco buster, frontiersman, circus sharpshooter, horse track racer, showman, barnstormer, man-carrying kite inventor, and pioneer British aviator. He was born Samuel Franklin Cowdery, and took the name Samuel Franklin Cody as a young showman, pretending to be a relative of Buffalo Bill Cody, with whom he is sometimes confused. He was a flamboyant showman, initially touring the United States in a Wild West show where he was billed as “Captain Cody, King of the Cowboys”, and visiting England for a while around 1890. In 1897 he moved to England with his family and presented shows and events which involved horse racing against cyclists, performing chariot races and acting out scenes from the Wild West. His play 'The Klondyke Nugget', possibly inspired by a trip he claimed to have made to the region in the 1880s, was first performed in its entirety on December 5, 1898 and toured Britain extensively. It was described as a very successful and popular entertainment. His whole family were required to act and Cody usually played the villain - enjoying a very dramatic death at the close of the play.

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Members of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori communities are advised that this catalogue contains names and images of deceased people. All users of the catalogue should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally sensitive and may be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written.